Honest self-evaluation and course correction are key traits of great leaders, managers and employees. For example, suppose you complain that almost everyone in your department or organization is turned off and tuned out. Are they all just a bunch of self-indulgent, narcissistic, lazy slackers or a rotten generation – or have you failed somehow?
To read the rest of this article from the Philadelphia Business Journal, see: My staff doesn’t care: What’s the problem? Is it me?
http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/10/12/smallb3.html
If your office is typical, you’d expect that a small group of employees won’t care no matter what you do. They’re abusive, bullying bottom-feeders. Their lack of discipline, responsibility and effort comes from the inside. Begging, bribery, appeasement and coddling may make them happy, but won’t make them more productive.
Another small group, on the other side of a bell curve, will work hard all the time. They take responsibility and care about your company’s success as well as their own.
But if that middle group, roughly 80 percent, doesn’t care, be honest and look at yourself. You know that most people do care and want to be productive.
Learn what you can do to eliminate the high cost of their low attitudes.
Will you convert everyone when you start doing what you need to? No, but you’ll see who are bullies, who’s in the bottom-feeder group and who’s so hurt, angry and disaffected that they can’t be won over. Be kindly when you help these latter people leave.
All tactics are situational. Expert coaching and consulting can help you create and implement a plan that fits you and your organization.